The Financial Times reported that the United Arab Emirates has denied arming the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which are locked in a conflict with the Sudanese military.
An Emirati official told the newspaper that Abu Dhabi “does not take sides in the current conflict,” adding that the country “has consistently called for de-escalation, a sustainable ceasefire and the start of diplomatic dialogue in Sudan.” The newspaper pointed out that the denial came after a leaked document from the United Nations showed credible evidence that the UAE was sending weapons to the RSF.
The report, prepared by experts for the UN Security Council and seen by the Financial Times but not yet published, said several shipments of weapons and ammunition are unloaded each week from cargo planes at a Chadian airport and delivered to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the Sudanese border.
But the UAE has vehemently denied arming any group in Sudan and has told the UN panel that the flights carried humanitarian aid, including a hospital it had set up.